The U.S. Department of Justice and EEOC announced a $5 million settlement with Instacart over discriminatory recruitment practices involving employment-based green card sponsorship.
Federal prosecutors announced charges against 28 lawful permanent residents in California on October 19, 2026, including two Indian nationals. The cases involve allegations of unlawful voting, false citizenship claims and inaccurate statements during naturalization proceedings. Eleven defendants were arrested on October 19.
November 2026 Visa Bulletin: EB-3 India advances 21 days, EB-1 and EB-2 hold steady, and several family-sponsored categories move forward.
Cloudera agreed to pay $600,000 in civil penalties, establish a back-pay fund of up to $1.4 million, and suspend PERM participation for 24 months under a federal settlement concerning recruitment barriers affecting U.S. job applicants. The settlement does not automatically revoke employees' visas or green cards.
DHS's October 14, 2026, final rule confirms that certain EAD renewals filed on or after October 30, 2025, generally do not receive automatic extensions of up to 540 days. Qualifying earlier filings and certain independent legal exceptions remain protected.
October 2026 Visa Bulletin reopens EB-2 and EB-5 India and advances EB-1 as FY2027 begins. See India's Final Action and filing dates.
Recent and planned layoffs have become an explicit H-1B review factor under the September 18 order, but the order does not itself impose a categorical sponsorship ban on every employer that has reduced staff.
A September 18 presidential proclamation extends the existing H-1B entry restriction tied to a $100,000 employer payment until September 21, 2027. The requirement is not a universal $100,000 fee on every H-1B worker or extension; location, petition type, admission posture and exceptions matter.
DHS's rescission of the 2022 public-charge regulation became effective September 18. The new framework restores broader officer discretion and applies to specified admission and adjustment applications made on or after the effective date. Public-charge rules are category- and fact-specific; receiving a public benefit does not automatically mean a green-card application will be denied.
A federal judge blocked DHS's fixed-admission-period rule on September 14, one day before it was scheduled to take effect. F-1 and J-1 students therefore remain under the existing Duration of Status framework for now. The ruling is preliminary; the litigation continues.
DHS proposed September 11 to eliminate the up-to-60-day discretionary period available after employment ends for H-1B, L-1, O-1, TN and several other classifications. This is a proposal, not an effective rule. The existing grace-period regulation remains in force for now. Comments are due November 10.
DV processing has not completely stopped, but visa issuance has. Interviews can continue while the department conducts its review.
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